George Unwin

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Wing Commander George Cecil Unwin DSO DFM (January 18, 1913 - June 28, 2006), born in the town of Bolton upon Dearne, Yorkshire. He enlisted in the RAF in 1929 and was selected for pilot training in 1935. Upon completion of training, he was posted to 19 Squadron as a Sergeant Pilot. 19 Squadron was the first unit to receive the Supermarine Spitfire in 1938. On 3 March 1939 Unwin deliberately crashed a Spitfire following an engine failure, to avoid a children's playground.

By the outbreak of World War II, Sgt. Unwin and his fellow pilots had arguably more hours on the Spitfire than any pilots in the RAF.

During the Battle of Britain, stationed in 12 Group, he was credited with 14 enemy aircraft shot down by the end of 1940 and awarded with the DFM with bar. Later in the war he was given a commission and flew DeHavilland Mosquito day fighters with 613 Squadron.

He remained in the RAF after the war and transitioned to Bristol Brigand aircraft in 1948. He flew this type during the Malaya conflict in 1952 as was awarded the DSO for his efforts. He retired from the RAF in 1961 as Wing Commander.

His service-wide nickname was "Grumpy"; received, as the story goes, after he complained about the noise squadron mate Douglas Bader made repairing one of his leg prostheses late at night in late 1939. It kept Unwin awake and he let everyone know about it. Another story goes it was due to his reaction at being left out of the squadron's operations over Dunkirk on 26 May 1940, due to the shortage of aircraft.

Unwin kept himself occupied until the end. In late May of 2006 he was presented with a scale model of his Spitfire by Corgi Toys. George Unwin died of natural causes June 28, 2006 at the age of 93.